American Politics

Chris Christie may be fat, but he ain’t Santa Claus. In fact, he seems unable to decide if he is New Jersey’s governor or its caporegime, and it may be a comment on the coarsening of American discourse that his brash rudeness is often taken for charm. In February, while discussing New Jersey’s newly amended income-tax law, which allows the rich to pay less (proportionally) than the middle class, Christie was asked about Warren Buffett’s observation that he paid less federal income taxes than his personal secretary, and that wasn’t fair. “He should just write a check and shut up,” Christie responded, with his typical verve. “I’m tired of hearing about it. If he wants to give the government more money, he’s got the ability to write a check—go ahead and write it.”

Heard it all before. At a rally in Florida (to support collective bargaining and to express the socialist view that firing teachers with experience was sort of a bad idea), I pointed out that I was paying taxes of roughly 28 percent on my income. My question was, “How come I’m not paying 50?” The governor of New Jersey did not respond to this radical idea, possibly being too busy at the all-you-can-eat cheese buffet at Applebee’s in Jersey City, but plenty of other people of the Christie persuasion did.

Cut a check and shut up, they said.

If you want to pay more, pay more, they said.

Tired of hearing about it, they said.

Tough %#&!*% for you guys, because I’m not tired of talking about it. I’ve known rich people, and why not, since I’m one of them? The majority would rather douse their dicks with lighter fluid, strike a match, and dance around singing “Disco Inferno” than pay one more cent in taxes to Uncle Sugar. It’s true that some rich folks put at least some of their tax savings into charitable contributions. My wife and I give away roughly $4 million a year to libraries, local fire departments that need updated lifesaving equipment (Jaws of Life tools are always a popular request), schools, and a scattering of organizations that underwrite the arts. Warren Buffett does the same; so does Bill Gates; so does Steven Spielberg; so do the Koch brothers; so did the late Steve Jobs. All fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough.

What charitable 1 percenters can’t do is assume responsibility—America’s national responsibilities: the care of its sick and its poor, the education of its young, the repair of its failing infrastructure, the repayment of its staggering war debts. Charity from the rich can’t fix global warming or lower the price of gasoline by one single red penny. That kind of salvation does not come from Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Ballmer saying, “OK, I’ll write a $2 million bonus check to the IRS.” That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry.

I give away roughly $4 million a year to libraries, local fire departments that need updated lifesaving equipment (Jaws of Life tools are always a popular request), schools, and a scattering of organizations that underwrite the arts. Warren Buffett does the same; so does Bill Gates; so does Steven Spielberg; so do the Koch brothers; so did the late Steve Jobs. All fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough.

I would like to know how much each member of Congress gave to causes like this.

I don't know why he is singling out Governor Christie, and I personally get his "Jersey" style. I just need to advise the truly rich in this state probably start off with property tax bills of a minimum close to $50,000 and up.

They employ landscapers, use construction for projects, all sorts of people work for them. They are the only one's who can afford anything. I am thankful when they hire people for work. Noone else is.

I just thought I had to share that they pay alot in other ways. Could they afford to do so more than me? Hell ya. But still...they pay.

Damn it, it won't let me read the rest. Link is busted, I guess. Have to look it up, later.

Stephen King has always written funny stuff, Nancy! lol His work is full of stuff like that!

I've never read anything by anyone else that had characters as in depth and realistic as his. Because they are funny. They may be in up their ears in crazy evil shyt, but he's never been above a good dick or fart joke, even in the midst of a really serious scene.

That was originally called "The Body", yeah. I have that one as a movie. Not bad. Good ol' 80's flick.

Right now, I'm in the middle of 4 different books:

Eldest (sequel to Eragon, in the Inheritance series), by Christopher Paolini

Dune by Frank Herbert, which has cool concepts, but the characters are so stiff and bland, it's slow going, and hard for me to really immerse myself in. But, it's a classic, so, I feel just about obligated to get through it.

Star Wars: Choices Of One, by Timothy Zahn. This one probably isn't all that great, but, I gotta read it, since it's got my favorite non-movie Star Wars character of all time: Mara Jade. She's from the very first trilogy of post-Return Of The Jedi novels, and those were VERY good books, called Heir To The Empire; Dark Force Rising; and The Last Command; also by Timothy Zahn, with George Lucas' full backing and approval. They truly captured the essence of the original films, everyone was true to character, with none of the un-originality and cheesiness that sequels usually have. Very rich, new threats, new characters that join the original films' gang. Excellent stuff. And Mara Jade became popular enough with the fans that she is the only one to be officially canonized with a live actress to officially portray her for the simple sake of fan memorabilia.